Lin Xiaxia and the village chief had only been sitting inside for a short while when footsteps sounded outside the courtyard gate.
Huzi’s mother walked in carrying a ceramic jar. Behind her was a sturdy man with two bundles of dry firewood over his shoulder. It was Huzi’s father, Daniu.
“Village Chief, you’re here too.” Huzi’s mother greeted him with a smile, though her eyes kept drifting toward Lin Xiaxia, her face full of gratitude.
The village chief stood up. “What are you two doing here with all this?”
“Didn’t Educated Youth Lin save our Huzi?” Huzi’s mother placed the ceramic jar on the table and spoke cheerfully. “We don’t have much at home worth giving, so please accept this jar of eggs. And these two bundles of firewood—Daniu picked out the best pieces. They’ll burn for a good long while.”
She nudged the man beside her.
“Daniu, hurry up and heat the kang for Educated Youth Lin. And scrub those two water jars in the corner and fill them up!”
“All right!”
Daniu answered in his deep voice. He put down the bundles of firewood and immediately got to work.
He quickly started a fire, then found a brush and scrubbed the two dusty water jars in the corner until they were spotless. After that, he picked up a shoulder pole and buckets and headed down the mountain to fetch water from the well.
Their enthusiasm left Lin Xiaxia feeling embarrassed.
She quickly waved her hands. “Sis, you really don’t have to do all this. It’s too much trouble…”
“How is this too much trouble?” Huzi’s mother replied.
She somehow produced a rag and began wiping down the tables and stools.
“You saved our son’s life. What’s a little work compared to that? This place hasn’t been properly cleaned yet, so I’ll help you wipe everything down. You’ll be much more comfortable living here afterward.”
She cleaned carefully, not even overlooking the dust on the windowsill.
As she worked, she continued talking.
“The kang needs to be heated thoroughly so it’ll stay warm. That way, you’ll be comfortable when you sleep tonight. And once the water jars are full, cooking and washing clothes will be much easier. You won’t have to walk all that way to fetch water yourself.”
Watching her busy figure, Lin Xiaxia felt warmth spread through her heart, though she still felt a little guilty about accepting so much help.
The village chief gently tugged at her arm and lowered his voice.
“That’s just how people in our village are—simple and sincere. You saved little Huzi’s life. To them, that means more than anything. Letting them do something for you will make them feel better.”
He turned and looked around the house.
“Have you thought about how you want to arrange this place? If you want to partition off a small corner of the inner room for the clinic, I can ask the carpenter to build you some wooden shelves for medicine and supplies.”
Huzi’s mother overheard him while wiping the table and immediately joined the conversation.
“What’s that? Our village is opening a clinic? Educated Youth Lin is going to be our doctor?”
Lin Xiaxia smiled modestly and nodded.
“Yes. I studied under a master for several years before coming here. I can treat common illnesses like headaches and fevers, as well as minor injuries. The village chief said the village needs someone with medical knowledge, so he asked me to give it a try and open a small clinic. That way, everyone won’t have to travel all the way to town whenever they feel unwell.”
“Oh my, that’s wonderful news!”
Huzi’s mother clapped her hands excitedly.
“In the past, whenever the children came down with a fever in the middle of the night, we had to rush to town in complete darkness. Sometimes we’d get there only to find the health center locked up tight. We’d be so anxious we wouldn’t know what to do. Now that our village will have its own clinic, things will be so much easier!”
She grew even more excited as she spoke.
“When I visit my parents’ village, I’ll tell everyone there too. They can come here when they’re sick. It’s much closer than going all the way to town!”
The village chief smiled and nodded.
“Exactly. From now on, our villagers won’t have to go through so much trouble just to see a doctor.”
He turned back to Lin Xiaxia.
“Take another look around. Is there anything else you want changed? I’ll have the carpenter come over tomorrow.”
Lin Xiaxia looked around the house carefully.
There were two main rooms. The outer room served as the main living area and already had a table and chairs, while the inner room was a bedroom with a heated kang. The kitchen was beside the main room.
The layout was quite suitable.
“There’s no need for any major changes.”
She pointed toward the area near the window in the main room.
“The table, chairs, and stools are already here, so I can see patients here. Please ask the carpenter to make a few tiered shelves where I can store medicine bottles and ointments.”
She thought for a moment before adding, “If possible, I’d also like a small wooden cabinet with drawers for Chinese medicinal herbs. When I have free time, I can go into the mountains to gather herbs, dry them, and store them there.”
In her previous life, while studying under the old man who knew medicine, she had learned not only first aid and how to diagnose and treat common illnesses, but also how to identify many medicinal herbs.
She had also become skilled at gathering, digging up, drying, and preserving them.
Now that she had the treasure-detection function in her storage space, finding useful medicinal herbs in the mountains would be even easier. She would be able to tell at a glance where the good herbs were.
“That’s easy enough!” the village chief readily agreed. “Old Li, the carpenter, is especially good at making things like that. I’ll tell him exactly what you want. I guarantee they’ll be sturdy and practical.”
Just then, Huzi’s mother walked over.
“Educated Youth Lin, the house is all cleaned up now. Later, spread your bedding over the kang and let it warm up. The kang is nice and hot, so you’ll sleep comfortably tonight.”
She dusted off her hands and warmly added, “Have you eaten yet? If not, come home with us. I’ll have Daniu slaughter a chicken to welcome you!”
The village chief quickly joined in.
“That’s right. Come eat at my house instead. I’ll have my wife make some cornmeal pancakes and stir-fry some shredded potatoes. There’ll be plenty for you!”
Lin Xiaxia smiled and waved her hands, politely declining.
“No, no. Thank you, Uncle and Sis, but I brought some food with me. I’ll just make a simple bowl of noodle soup tonight. There’s no need to trouble yourselves.”
As she spoke, she pushed the jar of eggs back toward Huzi’s mother.
“Please take these back too. It isn’t easy for a family to save up so many eggs. I really can’t accept them.”
“How can you not accept them?”
Huzi’s mother immediately pushed the jar back.
“This is our thank-you gift! You saved our son’s life. What are a few eggs compared to that?”
“Sis, you and Brother Daniu have already done so much for me. You heated the kang, fetched water, and cleaned the whole house. You’ve already helped me more than enough. There’s really no need to give me anything else.”
Seeing that Huzi’s mother refused to give in, Lin Xiaxia finally compromised.
“How about this? I’ll keep five eggs. I’ll consider them a treat. But you must take the rest home. I really won’t accept any more than that.”
As she spoke, she counted out five eggs from the jar and then firmly pushed the jar back into Huzi’s mother’s arms.
Seeing how determined she was, Huzi’s mother could only sigh and accept it.
After giving Lin Xiaxia a few more reminders, she finally left with Daniu.
The village chief smiled as well.
“Then get some rest. If you need anything, just come find me at the brigade office. I’ll be going now.”
Lin Xiaxia walked them to the door.
Only after watching them disappear into the darkness did she close it.
Night had completely fallen.
The mountain village was exceptionally peaceful, with only the occasional barking of dogs and chirping of insects breaking the silence.
The fresh scent of soil, grass, and trees filled the air. Taking a deep breath felt wonderfully refreshing.
Lin Xiaxia turned and walked into the kitchen.
The kitchen wasn’t large, but it was neat and tidy.
A thick chopping board rested in one corner, while the stove had been built from packed earth. It had two burners, one large and one small, allowing two pots to be used at once.
Lin Xiaxia took a small iron pot out of her storage space.
She had previously exchanged for it through the system, and it was just the right size for the smaller burner.
She carefully washed the pot twice with clean water before placing it on the stove. After adding some dry firewood, she soon had a fire going.
Flames licked the bottom of the pot.
She poured in a little oil and waited for it to heat up before cracking two eggs into the pot.
Sizzle!
The golden eggs immediately puffed up, and their delicious aroma filled the kitchen.
She chopped up a tomato and tossed it in, stir-frying it briefly before adding two bowls of water.
Once the water came to a boil, she added a handful of dried noodles.
Before long, a steaming bowl of tomato and egg noodles was ready.
She carried it to the table in the main room and slowly ate her dinner beneath the dim glow of the oil lamp.
After finishing her noodles, she heated another pot of water and poured it into a thermos.
Once she had washed up for the night, she went into the bedroom, lifted the bedding, and lay down on the warm kang.
Lin Xiaxia rested her head on her arm and gazed at the moonlight streaming through the window.
The corners of her lips slowly curved into a smile.
Her first night in Gaojiatun Village passed peacefully.